The secrets of the Torre del Mangia in Siena

Siena - In Siena, on Piazza del Campo which is divided into 9 segments, as many as there were members of the Giunta della Repubblica, stands the Torre del Mangia. 88 meters high (as much as a 29-storey skyscraper) it is the third tallest in Italy but has a unique peculiarity, that is, it does not have the foundations. The beginning of its construction dates back to 1325, and the end of the work is in 1348.

Today you can climb inside: there are 330 steps to climb in order to get to the top, where there are the bells. The name of the tower comes from the nickname that he who was probably its first bell ringer, Giovanni Di Duccio. It seems that he greatly appreciated the pleasures of good food and therefore wasted his salary on food. Hence the nickname 'eats earnings', which passed to the tower. The Torre del Mangia was also a lightning rod in the past, suffering major damage. Even today, despite being equipped with a modern lightning rod, it remains closed in bad weather. The bell at the top, which visitors cannot reach, dates from 1666 and is rung electromechanically except on some special occasions, such as during the palio, when it is rung by hand.